Vibe coding is an emerging practice that blends natural language prompting with AI-driven development tools to build functional applications without traditional programming knowledge. It's about describing what you want an app to do in plain English and letting the AI generate the code. Tools like Replit, GPT-4, and GitHub Copilot support this process by interpreting instructions, generating front-end and back-end code, connecting databases, and deploying projects—all through a conversational interface.
This workflow shifts the developer’s role from writing every line of code to managing a high-level creative and technical dialogue. Instead of focusing on syntax or language-specific quirks, the creator focuses on intention, flow, and user experience. This opens up software development to people with ideas, but not the time or desire to learn coding from the beginning.
In early 2025, the term "vibe coding" entered tech discourse when computer scientist Andrej Karpathy casually coined it during an online conversation. He described using LLMs to write programs as more intuitive than traditional coding: "I see things, say things, run things, copy-paste things... it mostly works." The phrase resonated with developers and non-developers.
Karpathy's earlier quote from 2023: "The hottest new programming language is English," now reads as a precursor to this moment. As LLMs generated sophisticated code from vague prompts, a new programming emerged. One where you might not fully understand every line of code produced, but the outcome still functions.
Simon Willison, an AI researcher and developer: if you understand, test, and verify all the AI-generated code, you’re using it as a productivity tool. Vibe coding embraces a more intuitive, trust-based approach.
Several tools support this change in software creation:
Replit offers in-browser development, deployment, and integrated databases. Its Ghostwriter and AI Agent features allow rapid prototyping and shipping without concerns about configuration or environment setup.
GPT-4 / ChatGPT translates human instructions into functional code. It generates UI components, logic, API calls, and debugging assistance.
GitHub Copilot Vibe Coding: Creativity Without Code in code editors like VS Code by suggesting code completions and fixing bugs.
Their ability to convert intention into implementation ties these together, allowing creators to remain in a creative mindset instead of switching between tools, syntax references, and error logs.
Two months ago, I logged into Replit to check out their new AI Agents. I wanted to see if I could build something beyond console apps and tutorials. It turns out I could.
Here are three apps I developed last month:
The Pokédex is a tool to explore the original 151 Pokémon, compare their stats, and simulate battles. It is simple but enjoyable.
The Gramlin-o-Meter tracks moon phases and correlates them with my kids' moods. I built it after a chaotic soccer practice during a full moon.
Happy Quest is a reflective tool for tracking happiness across five life pillars. It is still evolving, but beneficial.
Each project started as a question or idea in natural language. The AI returned the code. I iterated. The process felt more like collaborating with a builder than directing a compiler.
Vibe coding induces calm focus. There’s no steep learning curve, no hours of debugging a misplaced semicolon. It creates space to experiment without friction. You describe, observe, and refine. It’s closer to sketching than engineering.
This shift matters. Software creation becomes accessible to those who relied on developers to execute their ideas. The bottleneck moves from technical skill to clarity of vision.
The vision for vibe coding is to enable anyone with an idea to bring it to life using natural language and accessible tools. As these models improve, the line between coder and non-coder will blur. More teachers, designers, and parents are building micro-tools, apps, and games without touching a computer science textbook.
